Fortuna's post office was established September
30, 1896 and discontinued November 20, 1904. Located close to
the Camino del Diablo or the road of death, Fortuna was a lighthouse
in the dark for thirsty miners in the yuma area. The road was
named as such due to the number of travelers that died trying
to cross the desert. Water was very scarce, but when the Fortuna
mine was found, a pump was set up at the Colorado river and water
was pumped the 20 miles to the townsite. First located in 1894,
the claim was worked until 1904, and then intermittently after
that for the next 20 years. In its heyday the town has saloons,
a hotel, and a stage and freight line. You can almost feel the
thirst of the stage coach drivers as they finally rolled into
Fortuna after traversing the Camino del Diablo.